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18 July 2025 | Story Precious Shamase
UFS Green Campus Initiative Team
The UFS Green Campus Initiative team after being announced winners for the fourth consecutive year.

The University of the Free State (UFS) is celebrating an outstanding achievement at the 12th Annual Green Campuses Conference (GCC) 2025, where its dynamic Green Campus Initiative (GCI) team from the Qwaqwa Campus clinched the coveted Best Exhibition Award. This marks an unprecedented fourth consecutive year that the UFS has secured this prestigious accolade, highlighting its unwavering commitment to sustainability and innovation within the higher education landscape.

Hosted by Nelson Mandela University in Gqeberha, Eastern Cape, the conference was presented by the Association of College and University Housing Officers - International (ACUHO-I) under the profoundly relevant theme, Ubuntu and Environment: African Indigenous Knowledge in Sustainability. Endorsed by the Department of Higher Education and Training, the GCC serves as a pivotal platform for institutions of higher learning across South Africa to exchange vital knowledge, share best practices, and explore groundbreaking innovations in environmental sustainability and climate change mitigation.

The UFS GCI team's exhibition captivated judges and attendees alike with its exceptional creativity, innovative spirit, and profound dedication to envisioning a greener future. "The creativity, innovation, and commitment to sustainability shone through every detail of the display," remarked residential head Itumeleng Lebusho, "a true reflection of what it means to envision a greener future".

The five students who represented the institution were Amukelani Ngobeni, Minenhle Mnguni, Sinenhlanhla Mathabela, Charmaine Nokubonga Nkosi, and Thandolwethu Nyathikazi.

A cornerstone of the student-driven conference, the GCC featured three main categories: project presentations, a runway showcase, and the highly anticipated exhibition. UFS students excelled across the board, demonstrating their ingenuity in tackling real-world campus challenges with sustainable solutions.

A particularly notable project was the student-designed mobile trolley. Addressing a common predicament faced by students transporting groceries from the main gate to their residences due to campus restrictions on taxis for security reasons, the team engineered an innovative solution. This solar-powered mobile trolley, equipped with batteries and a motor, began as a prototype in 2024 and has since evolved into a testament to student-led problem-solving. While the current iteration requires a Code 8 driver's licence to operate, its potential to revolutionise campus mobility is clear.

The conference's annual theme encourages participants to devise sustainable solutions to problems faced on campus, a challenge that the UFS GCI team has embraced with remarkable success.

The UFS' consistent triumph at the GCC is a testament to the dedication and sacrifice of its students, whose forward-thinking ideas continue to push the boundaries of what is possible in campus greening. "The students worked in a way that we never imagined," expressed Desiree Motsele, Residence Head within Housing and Residence Affairs. "The ideas that they come up with are truly inspiring."

By actively participating in this significant event, the UFS is not only strengthening its commitment to creating a green campus but also fostering a healthy learning and living environment. This continued dedication prioritises sustainability, advances energy efficiency, champions resource conservation, and promotes environmental stewardship, solidifying the UFS' position as a leader in sustainable practices within South African higher education.

The Director: Student Affairs, Zoleka Dotwana, said she would like to congratulate the students on yet another gold they won at the GCI 2025. “The effort, the hard work, the commitment you have shown, has once again raised our UFS flag high. I hope the experience and the graduate attributes you have learnt in preparing your project will go a long way in providing you with great opportunities when you leave our shores. It has been an awesome journey over the four years, one that we hold dear and that will remain in the history books of our campus. Thank you for flying our flag high - Only a Kovsie knows the feeling!' said an ecstatic Dotwana.

News Archive

UN-SPIDER expert appointed at UFS Risk Management Centre
2017-06-02

Description: Dr Joerg Szarzynski Tags: Dr Joerg Szarzynski

Dr Joerg Szarzynski, head of the EduSphere section
and Education Programme Director at the
United Nations University, Institute for Environment
and Human Security.
Photo: Supplied

“This new development will strengthen the long-lasting collaboration between DiMTEC and the United Nations University, Institute for Environment and Human Security (UNU-EHS) in Bonn in Germany. This [collaboration] goes back for almost a decade of joint training courses and increasingly also includes collaboration in the frame of scientific projects, especially in Africa.”

These were the words of Dr Joerg Szarzynski after his appointment as Affiliated Associate Professor to the Disaster Management Training and Education Centre for Africa (DiMTEC) at the University of the Free State (UFS). Dr Szarzynski will assume his new position with immediate effect.
 
The United Nations University (UNU) is a global thinktank and postgraduate teaching organisation headquartered in Japan.

Dr Szarzynski, head of the EduSphere section and Education Programme Director at UNU-EHS, brings with him a wealth of experience, including serving as senior expert to the United Nations Platform for Space-based Information for Disaster Management and Emergency Response (UN-SPIDER). Within the team, he was principal desk officer for Africa responsible for relief activities after natural disasters, technical consultation, information management, collaborative network development and the cluster on health and climate change adaptation. He also has broad expertise in climatology and remote sensing, global environmental change research, capacity-building and web-based data and information management.

“Dr Szarzynski’s appointment brings
new research opportunities.”

Lecture focus on vulnerability and disaster risk reduction
As part of his new academic responsibilities, Dr Szarzynski will conduct face-to-face lectures during a course on vulnerability and disaster risk-reduction. With this course the centre aims to increase awareness of the complexity and importance of vulnerability and resilience in the field of disaster risk management. Dr Szarzynski’s teachings will focus on Early Warning Systems and Geospatial Technologies in Support of Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) and Emergency Response Preparedness. He will also lead courses on Assessment and Coordination in International Disaster Management and Humanitarian Response and Information Technology in Disaster Risk Reduction and Disaster Management.

Furthermore he will give lectures via distance learning for the wider curriculum at DiMTEC.

Collaboration between DiMTEC and UNU
Dr Andries Jordaan, Director of DiMTEC at the UFS said: “His appointment opens new networks within the United Nations system, which brings new research opportunities. Furthermore, his expertise is important to us. He has already provided input and delivered lectures through Skype in the course of Information Technology and Communication.”

Dr Szarzynski has been lecturing for the past 10 years in the UFS’ international PhD curriculum.

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